


Movie Night

by fangirls5ever



Category: Pokemon, Pokemon Sun and Moon - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Gen, I hope I got everyone's personalities right, I ship Gladion and Moon but it didn't turn out very romantic, It keeps autocorrecting Hau to all caps, Movie Night, This is kind of trash, Wow, but very fun to write, so ship, very fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-20
Updated: 2017-09-08
Packaged: 2018-10-08 03:09:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10376508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirls5ever/pseuds/fangirls5ever
Summary: Sun, Moon, Lillie, Hau, and Gladion watch movies, and discover they all have extremely different tastes.





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [colonel-mustard-chan-Senpai-sensei-sama](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=colonel-mustard-chan-Senpai-sensei-sama).



> The dialogue from the movie was italicized in the app I was using, but I'm not sure how to italicize on this website. Sorry. My writing is not that great, but I may continue with this story, so if there's a couple you want together, I'll try to work that in. Thank you so much for reading! :)

"Remind me again, why are we doing this?" Gladion sighed, pulling a dusty box of DVDs from the couch.  
Lillie brushed a hand over it to clean it off, sweeping off a cloud of dust. She beamed. "Moon said her mother found the movies in their attic. She bought it would be fun for all of us to watch a few."  
The door from the kitchen swung open, and Sun, Moon, and Hau walked in, each carrying a bowl of popcorn. Moon seemed to practically glow with anticipation.  
"Ready to start?" she asked, and beamed when Lillie nodded. "Perfect! My mom said she hadn't seen these for a while, and we don't have the cases with the descriptions. We'll have to choose by title."  
Gladion rolled his eyes as Sun and Lillie eagerly dug through the discs, Moon watching them with child-like anticipation. "I don't see why you're so excited . They're going to all have bad acting and stupid effects."  
Hau shook his head, swallowing his malasada "It will be fun, Gladion." He held up a malasada. "Do you want one? I brought a whole box."  
"This one looks perfect!" Lillie said, cutting off her brother's reply as she triumphantly held up one of the DVDs.  
Moon leaned over, peering down at the title. Her brow furrowed. "Forever in Your Arms? Are you sure this is the one you want to watch?" She was clearly dismayed by the choice, having lost some of her previous energy.  
Sun, however, had become excited, beaming up at her. "Doesn't it sound great?" he asked eagerly, drumming his fingers against the box. "This will be the perfect one to start off with!"  
Gladion narrowed his eyes. "Run that title by me one more time, I think I heard wrong." Sun complied, and Gladion's expression became nearly identical to Moon's. "I refuse."  
Sun blinked, surprised. "Why?"  
"Let's take a vote on it," Moon cut in before Gladion could respond. "Everyone for watching it, raise your hand." Lillie and Sun raised their hands. "Everyone against." Moon and Gladion raised their hands.  
The group turned as one to stare at Hau, the tiebreaker in their decision.  
Hau bit into his second malasada still smiling cheerily at the group, seemingly oblivious of the slight division. "We can start it, and if it turns out we don't enjoy the movie, we can always stop."  
"You want to watch it," Gladion said disbelievingly.  
"You never watch romance movies," Moon said flatly.  
"I'm so glad you want to watch it too!" Sun said, hugging Hau tightly. "I never get to watch movies--I'm always traveling."  
Lillie glowed. "Brother and I have a collection of popular movies from different regions at home. We should watch together some time!"  
Gladion looked repulsed by the thought.  
Lillie popped open the DVD player, slipping the movie in. The couch was a tight fit for all of them, with Moon and Gladion on the edges, Hau in the middle, and Lillie and Sun squished in on either side of him.  
The movie menu appeared on the screen, showing the heroine gazing dramatically into the distance.  
"It looks stupid already," Gladion complained, and Sun elbowed him in the side, staring intently at the screen.  
Lillie pressed play, and the screen went black, crackling briefly with static. Slowly, words written in a flowery script danced along the screen. A woman's voice spoke as they appeared. "I didn't realize it then." The voice distorted as the DVD hit a scratched area. "You were the first to make me feel this way."  
Moon yawned, rubbing at her eyes as violins and cellos wailed in the background.  
"Back then, I did not recognize it for what it was." A pause. "Shall I tell you it's name? Perhaps it is something you can understand as well, something that changed my world beyond my wildest fantasies." The music stopped abruptly as splashes of crimson bloomed on the screen, and a raspy laugh was heard in the distance. "Murder."  
Moon froze. Had she heard that right? Shooting a quick glance at the others, she confirmed that she had indeed heard correctly. Hau had frozen mid bite, a malasada pinched between two fingers. Lillie and Sun had stiffened, their eyes wide as saucers. Gladion mirrored their shock, though it bordered on glee, as though the change in tone was a pleasant surprise.  
"You know," Lillie squeaked, "you're right, we really should switch movies."  
Sun nodded empathetically. "Definitely." He reached a shaky hand towards the remote only to have it snatched away by Moon.  
She hit pause before turning to face the others. "Now now, I think you guys had a point. We'll watch for a bit, and if the majority votes against continuing, we quit."  
"I'm changing my vote to 'against,'" Lillie chimed in, and Sun quickly seconded her opinion. "Majority wins."  
"No," Gladion interjected. "I change my vote to 'for.'"  
Moon beamed at him, and Sun jabbed a finger at Hau. "Well, he's against continuing, too."  
"I didn't hear him say that," Moon countered.  
The group turned to look at Hau, who remained frozen, the malasada slowly slipping from his fingers.  
"He's not objecting to the movie," Gladion noted.  
"Hau's abstaining from voting," Moon concluded.  
The two shrugged in unison. "You don't have the majority," Moon said.  
"Well, neither do you," Sun pointed out.  
"We don't need it," Moon said cheerily, and clicked play.  
Sun wrestled the remote from her hands as ominous chanting came from the TV, culminating in a poorly-animated fork of lightning. Sun quickly hit stop, pleading with Moon, "You can choose the next movie, just please let us stop this one."  
Moon bit her lip, considering the offer. "I get to choose?"  
"Yes."  
"And we won't stop?"  
"Yes."  
"No matter what?"  
"Yes, Moon."  
She cast a quick glance at Gladion, who seemed to have lost interest in the conversation, instead taking the chance to swipe popcorn from Sun's bowl.  
Moon sighed. "Fine. We can switch."  
Lillie and Sun sighed with obvious relief, and Lillie smiled brightly at Moon. "Do you want help picking out the movie?"  
Moon smiled back. "No, I'll be fine." Sliding off the couch and tugging the bin of DVDs to her, Moon sorted through them, mouthing the titles. None seemed especially eye-catching or thrilling.  
"Hurry up and pick already," Gladion said.  
Moon frowned, pulling out one scrawled across with cherry-red sharpie. The Final Battle. Somewhat generic sounding, but hopefully with enough of a solid plot and action to keep her attention. She held it out to Gladion. "This look good?"  
His eyes narrowed as he read the title. "I feel like I've heard that before."  
"How many movies do you want to bet have this name?"  
Gladion shrugged, leaning back. "Fair enough."  
Pulling out Forever in Your Arms, Moon set the new DVD in, pushing Lillie over to the side to make room.  
When the menu popped up, Sun hit play, squinting at the title. "This isn't going to be bloody, is it?"  
Hau, finally unfrozen, looked in dismay at the malasada on the floor, having slipped from his fingers. "I don't think Moon's mother would watch gory movies. Right, Moon?"  
She didn't reply, instead stuffing a handful of popcorn into her mouth. The title, written in a shaky font, flashed across the screen, accompanied by the sound of rolling thunder. The camera panned to reveal a throne room, a man wearing a luxurious red cloak lounging on the throne. His expression exuded boredom, and he tapped his fingers impatiently against the arm of his chair.  
"Brother, he looks just like you," Lillie whispered, earning a glare from Gladion.  
"Tell me," the man drawled, pressing his fingers to his forehead as though in pain, "is there no one in this forsaken kingdom who can cure me of this unending boredom? This unrelenting drudgery?"  
A fidgeting attendant raised a tentative hand. "Your highness, perhaps if you would just look at the marriage offers--"  
"Insubordination!" roared the prince, stabbing a finger at the offending servant. "Take him away! Immediately!"  
The guards complied, and the servant vanished with sobbing and a babbled apology.  
Lillie's brow furrowed. "The ruler is terrible."  
Text appeared along the screen, echoing her thoughts. The prince was terrible, it read, and the people were certain he would never change.  
The soft staccato of rainfall began in the background.  
Or would he?  
The title appeared again, written with a flourish, new words appearing beneath it. The Final Battle: a Love Story.  
Gladion choked on his popcorn, retching as the words became fluttering rose petals, drifting away with a flourish. Moon had gone unusually still, her eyes shuttered. Hau was drifting off, leaning back against the couch. Lillie and Sun now watched with breathless anticipation, their eyes glowing.  
Gladion recovered from his shock before Moon. "We're switching it. Now."  
Sun shushed him, unwilling to miss a moment as the title sequence ended to reveal a girl leaning against a windowsill.  
She draped one hand across her forehead, moaning tragically. "Oh, could it ever be true?" Her words were said with a distinct lack of conviction, spoken between breathy sobs. "Could my hero, my one true love--"  
Moon scowled.  
"--ever find me here? For months I've waited, hoping, praying, and yet no one comes to rescue me. The only way out is the window, to fly, and yet I bear no wings." The actress dissolved into tears, and Lillie and Sun along with her.  
Gladion narrowed his eyes. "I see stairs behind her. What does she mean the only way out is the window?"  
The click of horse hooves failed to draw the girl's attention to the prince riding through the woods, looking gloriously bored.  
"For only two years I've been designated roles throughout the castle, and already I tire of it," he complained loudly, the oblivious girl in the windowsill apparently sobbing too loudly to hear. "How am I ever to find contentment if I don't--"  
His self-pitying monologue was cut short when he finally noticed the girl, and the large, stone tower, before him.  
"Alas, what is this sorcery!" he cried. "I have explored every inch of these woods and yet never found this structure." His eyes flew up to the window, to the girl draped across the windowsill. "And what is this bewitching creature? I shall have none other than her as my bride!"  
Moon groaned, covering her eyes with her hands. "This is awful. Are you sure we can't switch it?"  
Lillie and Sun didn't respond, the movie holding their undivided attention.  
"We could try to make it more bearable," Gladion said, one eye twitching as the camera revealed the prince galloping through the woods towards the castle, eager to announce his new bride. "Honestly, neither of us are going to last the whole movie."  
"What do you suggest?" Moon asked.  
"A competition. We'll see who can endure the movie the longest."  
Moon looked skeptical. "This is going to make it better?"  
Gladion shrugged, looking away. "Well, you were going to lose anyway. Doesn't matter to me if you want to bail out now."  
"I'll make you eat those words."

Fifteen minutes later, Gladion and Moon were hunched over on the ground, making retching sounds as the prince declared his undying love to the girl from the tower. Lillie and Sun had a box of tissues resting between them, sniffling as the dialogue became more and more sappy. Gladion and Moon both had their hands over their ears, desperately blocking out the confession.  
"Giving up yet?" Moon asked loudly.  
"Please," Gladion moaned, his expression pained, "this is nothing."  
Sun frowned at them, finally noticing their discomfort at the movie. "It's not that uncomfortable," he said defensively. "If you want to make it difficult, you should have to say the lines to each other."  
Moon looked aghast. "And ruin our friendship?"  
Gladion frowned. "We're friends?"  
"Of course we are! You gave me a Type: Null!"  
"So?"  
Their argument was cut short by a series of choking sounds from the screen. The prince was held out the window by the witch, her hands wrapped tightly around his throat. The old woman cackled and the prince made threats, mentioning far too many times the power of love.  
Moon and Gladion returned to shuddering and retching, their argument forgotten.

Slowly, the credits rolled onto the screen, the high-pitched melody of a flute playing as the names appeared. Hau yawned, finally waking up.  
"That was beautiful," Lillie said, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. "I'm so glad we got to watch it."  
Sun nodded in agreement, swiping a hand over his eyes. "It was perfect. Wouldn't you agree, Mo--"  
His question was cut short as he paused, looking around for Moon and Gladion.  
Lillie frowned, equally confused. "Where'd they go?"  
Hau reached forward to pluck the last malasada from the box, sighing in contentment as he bit in. "They left earlier, didn't you see?"  
"No," Lillie replied, her brow furrowed. "But you were asleep, so how did you?"  
Hau ignored her question, beaming as he finished his malasada.  
Sun stood up, stretching out his legs. "I'll go check the kitchen."  
He stacked the empty popcorn bowls and went to the kitchen, humming to himself as he swung the door open.  
Sun froze.  
Glaring at each other intensely as they sat on opposite sides of the table, Gladion and Moon held their property cards and rolled the dice. Moon rolled a six, moving her piece forward.  
"Ha!" Gladion crowed, jabbing a finger at her. "Park Place is mine--rent!"  
Moon huffed, forking over colorful money. "Just you wait, I'll get my revenge soon."  
Gladion rolled a three, landing on the red set.  
Moon shrieked, shaking the table as she stood abruptly. "Rent!"  
"What are you doing?"  
Moon and Gladion didn't bother to look at Sun, continuing on with their game.  
"We're playing Monopoly, what do you think we're doing?" Gladion replied, passing over a hefty sum of money to Moon.  
"Why?"  
Moon took the money, counting it out. "I told Gladion this game could completely ruin friendships, but apparently we're not friends, so no danger there."  
Gladion rolled his eyes. "Are you seriously still stuck on that?"  
The kitchen door swung open again, and Lillie stepped in, swaying to the credits music. She seemed less surprised than Sun to see Gladion and Moon. "Here you are," she said cheerily, still swaying. "What are you playing?"  
"Ahh, Monopoly!" Hau said, following Lillie in. "I used to play that all the time."  
Moon tugged two five-hundreds from her stack of money and slid them across the table. "Put hotels on Baltic and Mediterranean for me."  
Gladion complied. However, not to be outdone, he placed hotels on two of his places as well.  
Six more turns passed this way, with both sides consistently paying rent to the other.  
Finally, Sun spoke up, stifling a yawn. "This game is going on forever."  
Moon's eyes glinted, as though she had waited to hear this. "I'd say we're pretty well matched."  
"You're losing," Gladion pointed out. "I have more money."  
"You have two more ones than me."  
"Still winning."  
Moon leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "You wanna bet on that?"  
Gladion tilted his chin up. "We never did get to finish our competition earlier."  
"Loser has to do whatever the winner tells them," Moon suggested.  
"Deal."  
Pulling a handful of hundreds from her stack, Moon said, "Hotels, please."

Ten turns passed, and both had mortgaged half their properties, hotels sitting on their remaining squares. Hau, Lillie, and Sun had long since lost interest in the game, choosing to instead discuss the movie over their remaining popcorn.  
Gladion rolled a three, landing on Chance. Moon crossed her fingers as he picked up a card.  
His expression soured. "Go directly to St. Charles Place," he read.  
Moon's hand shot across the table, palm facing up. "Rent!"  
Gladion pushed away his remaining properties, leaning back with a scowl. "Fine. What do you want?"  
Moon blinked. The game had ended? Drawing her hand back, Moon hummed to herself thoughtfully, tapping her fingers against the table. "You said we weren't friends," she observed, a slight smile curving her lips.  
"Does that really bother you so much?"  
"Yes."  
Gladion's eyes narrowed slightly, and she could tell the bluntness of her reply had caught him off guard.  
Moon watched Gladion closely. "There's a movie I want to see that's just started playing in theaters. I want you to go see it with me. Since we're not friends yet, maybe we can both put in an effort to become closer."  
"You want to be friends?" he asked, and it seemed to her that he nearly choked on the words.  
Moon nodded. "My schedule is open Sunday if you're able to watch then."  
Gladion was cut off before he could answer.  
"Did you guys finish?" Sun asked, glancing over at them from the counter.  
"Who won?" Lillie asked, leaning forward eagerly.  
"I did," Moon said, raising a hand.  
"Congratulations," Lillie said cheerfully, beaming at her.  
"What did you ask for?" Sun asked around a mouthful of popcorn.  
"Gladion agreed to meet me at the theater this Sunday," Moon replied, enjoying the mix of confusion and surprise on her friend's faces, as though they weren't quite sure of what they had heard. Gladion frowned, but did not correct her, and she took that as confirmation.  
"Were we planning to go to the theater all together Sunday?" Hau asked.  
"No," Moon said, "its just Gladion and I."  
"You guys are going together?" Sun asked. "Willingly? But your not even friends."  
Moon shot him a withering look.  
"Alone?" Lillie asked hesitantly. "But that would be like a--"  
She stopped mid sentence, her expression slowly changing to one of understanding. She nodded sagely, as she had found the answer to one of life's greatest mysteries. "So that's why you said you weren't friends--and here I thought brother was just ignoring you."  
Sun seemed to share Lillie's moment of revelation after a meaningful look from her, though though his expression was liken to betrayal. "You never told us," he said, clearly hurt.  
Gladion's brow furrowed. "Told you what?"  
"That you two are da--"  
Lillie clapped a hand over Sun's mouth, stifling the rest of his sentence. "Never mind that," she said cheerfully, ignoring Sun's protests. "I'm sure you'll both have a great time Sunday." Glancing at the clock, she added, "It's pretty late. We should all be heading home."  
"Ah," Hau said, looking at the clock above the stove, "Lillie's right. I'm meeting with some of the professors tomorrow so they can examine my Pokemon."  
Moon felt reluctant to let the subject drop. But Lillie, Gladion, Hau, and Sun had already begun slipping on their jackets and shoes.  
"I'll walk you home," Sun said to Hau. "There's a lot of tall grass between along the way, and you probably left your best starters at home to rest."  
Hau smiled. "Thanks, Sun. I did a lot of battling with my team today, and it seemed like they needed a break."  
"If you're just going to stand around and chat, could you not block the entryway? Some of us have places to be." Gladion tapped his foot impatiently, the pokeball for Silvally held loosely in one hand.  
Sun stared at Gladion for a long moment before turning to look at at Moon. "I don't know what you see in him."  
Gladion scowled and shoved past him, freeing Silvally as soon as he was outside. The Type: Null nuzzled him affectionately before breaking into a run, Gladion jogging along beside him.  
"Wait for me!" Lillie called to her brother before turning back to Sun, Moon, and Hau. "I'll see you guys later," she said breathlessly, hugging each of them. "I hope we can do this again!" She hurried out the door, still waving as she ran out of sight, trying to catch up to Gladion.  
"Bye, Moon!" Hau said cheerfully, and he left with Sun. The two could be heard talking animatedly as they pushed through the tall grass.  
Moon sat down by the kitchen table, tapping her fingers against its surface. She'd need to see Gladion to work out the details for Sunday, find out the show times for the movie, and burn The Final Battle: a Love Story. It was clearly not worth keeping.  
But above all that, she was tired, and it had been a long day. Freeing her starter Pokémon, she flopped into bed, feeling her pet curl up beside her. Its steady breathing was a comfort, and she felt her eyes slide shut. In only a matter of minutes, Moon was fast asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is actually worse than the last chapter. If you see any errors, feel free to comment and I'll try to fix it as soon as possible. Thank you so much for reading :)

"You're glaring at me."  
"I'm not glaring at you."  
"But--"  
"This is just my normal expression, Sun, so shut up."  
Sun leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. Gladion sat opposite, stirring his mango bubble tea. The two were in the mall's food court for reasons Gladion did not entirely understand, and though he liked the black-haired boy well enough, he was not sure he would be staying much longer. The silence about them was anything but companionable.  
"So," Sun said slowly, startling Gladion. Sun stared pointedly at the table. "You and Moon are--close."  
Gladion frowned. "Not really."  
Sun looked up, stabbing a finger at him. "No lying!"  
"Moon and I aren't even friends," Gladion said flatly. "Why would I lie about that?"  
Sun stared at him, eyes narrowing. "I have reasons to believe you two are closer than you let on. My sources strongly suggest that you two are, perhaps--" Sun paused, brow furrowing--"romantically involved."  
Gladion raised an eyebrow. It was a stretch even to say they were on good terms--and to say they were dating? There was a only one person he knew that would suggest something that deluded. "Lillie put you up to this, didn't she?" When Sun opened his mouth to deny it, Gladion continued, "She's always had the strange notion that I'll become more open if I start seeing someone. She says I'm difficult to approach." He rolled his eyes at this, as though it were an absurd notion. "Apparently Moon is the current target of her matchmaking, and you just got swept along."  
Sun frowned. "I'm sorry, I stopped listening to you after 'She says I'm difficult to approach.' I hate to break this to you, but you really are."  
"I'll fight you over that later," Gladion assured, and repeated his previous statement.  
"That still doesn't explain why you're going on a date with her this Sunday," Sun pointed out.  
"It's not a date, we're just seeing a movie together. Apparently she wants to be friends."  
Sun, however, was not listening, caught up in the beginnings of a fantasy. "Or perhaps she wants to be more than friends," he mused, eyes taking on a strangely luminous appearance. "Maybe she only wants you to think it's a friendly outing, when in reality, it's really--"  
Gladion ignored him, pushing back from the table. If he was going to make his exit soon, best to do it while Sun was distracted. The boy seemed to have rather selective hearing. But as he turned to leave, Sun's hand shot out and clamped about his wrist.  
The bright look in the black-haired boy's eyes gave Gladion reason for concern. "What?" he asked.  
"What were you planning to wear this Sunday?"  
"I don't know, whatever I feel like that day."  
"What color?"  
Gladion scowled. "Why does this even matter?"  
Sun stood abruptly, a broad smile spreading across his face. "You and I are going to find a nice outfit for Sunday together. Something that doesn't have holes all over it, or is composed entirely of the color black."  
Gladion gave his hand a sharp tug, unable to pull free of Sun's vice-like grasp. "This is why you chose the mall?"  
Sun nodded, saying brightly, "Now, onto the first store! Since you have the family fortune from Aether Paradise, money shouldn't be an issue, right?"  
"Let me go, or so help me, I will strangle you."  
Sun waved away the threat airily, his eyes roving over the nearby shops. "Nah, we're friends. Let's start with that shop, they sell some really expensive sushi-patterned ties! I've read up on all the latest fashions, so no worries." And with that, Sun dragged him towards the nearest store, chattering happily as Gladion made threats he fully intended to carry through.

 

Gladion arrived at the theater ten minutes early, dressed head-to-toe in black. He had returned the suit, top hat, and neon tie Sun had selected before arriving, choosing to be early rather than late.  
Moon, it seemed, had similar thoughts.  
She was wearing a plain blue t-shirt, white jeans, and converse, an eevee curled around her neck like a scarf as she sat by the arcade games, absentmindedly stroking the pokémon's head. When Gladion sat down beside her on the bench, she grinned, pulling the eevee into her lap.  
"I'm glad you came," Moon said. "I was worried you would forget."  
Gladion rolled his eyes. "Lillie would die before she let that happen."  
Moon laughed, flashing him a quick smile. "I'm glad. I've been really looking forward to this."  
Gladion said nothing, unsure of how to respond. He knew the girl wanted to be friends, but he didn't know she wanted to that badly. His hand curled around Silvally's pokéball, the surface of it warming at his touch. "So," he said, "what's the movie about?"  
The black-haired girl brightened, her eyes lighting up. "It's a supposed to be a heart-wrenching story about a trainer and her bond with her starter. I researched it a bit, and the reviews on it are really good."  
Gladion narrowed his eyes. "This isn't the sort of movie where the Pokémon dies, is it?"  
Moon shrugged. "I was careful to avoid spoilers."  
The blond trainer made a noncommittal sound, glancing up at the clock over the theater entrance. "The movie's starting soon. Let's go grab seats."

 

Lillie and Sun peered around one of the larger games in the arcade, the incessant roaring of a charizard onscreen making it impossible to tell what was being said. Both wore dark shades and red trainer caps, Lillie sporting a black sundress and Sun an orange t-shirt and blue jeans.  
"Well," Sun muttered, squinting at Gladion and Moon as they talked on the bench, "she hasn't hit him yet. I suppose that could be counted as an improvement."  
Lillie's brow furrowed. "She hit him before? When?"  
Sun ignored her question, leaning closer. "Moon said something, and they stopped talking. Gladion is looking towards--quick, duck!"  
The two pulled back behind the arcade game, charizard roaring as the preview showed it escaping a pokéball. Slowly, Lillie peeked around the corner, blinking once, twice, before stepping out from behind the game entirely.  
"They left," she said, lifting one hand over her eyes to scan the crowd. "I don't see them."  
"Probably went further in," Sun said, taking a step closer to the back rooms. "Where's Hau? If he shows up late, we have to go on without him."  
"Sun, he's been at the concession stand this entire time," Lillie said, pointing to their friend as he hurried over with a box of malasadas. Hau was dressed with the same dark shades as them, but had also acquired a black Hawaiian pattern shirt and gray sandals.  
When he reached them, he held out the box cheerfully. "Want a malasada?"  
Sun frowned. "I didn't know they sold those here."  
"I know! Isn't it great?"  
"The movie's starting," Lillie said anxiously, grabbing their hands to pull them forward. Sun stumbled after her, Hau expertly shifting the malasada box to one hand.   
"Lillie," Sun panted, trying hard not to trip as she pulled them through the crowded theater, "what movie are we watching?"  
"Brother said it's called 'A Trainer's Heart.' He nearly choked on the title, but I think it sounds good."  
"Same," Sun agreed, looking around at the theater room they'd arrived at. It was half-full, and though the lights were dimmed, thanks to Gladion's distinctive hairstyle, spotting the pair took little effort. They were near the middle of the theater, Moon chatting with him while the advertisements played.  
"Oh, good," Lillie said, clearly relieved, "they're talking. I thought brother would just ignore her."  
Sun nodded, and the three pulled into a huddle. "Alright, team. When we're sitting behind them, whispering only. Hau? No sleeping. Lillie? No squealing at the cute moments. And yes, that goes for me too. Are you ready, team?" Lillie and Hau nodded. "Break!"  
Sun, Lillie, and Hau filed silently into the theater, slipping in behind Gladion and Moon.   
Lillie pulled her hair behind her back in an attempt to hide its color. Hau held the malasada box with practiced grace to keep it from making any sound. Sun pushed his shades up.  
And they waited.

"Are you working at the Aether foundation now?" Moon asked, resting one hand on the cup holder, fingers tracing the rim.  
Gladion nodded, staring pointedly at the screen. "I've been spending most of my time on some new projects there."  
Moon cast him a curious glance. "Really?" she asked. "What are they about?"  
"The scientists want closure on their studies of Type: Null. They thought Silvally and I would fit the criteria for their tests."  
"Are you... okay with this?" Moon asked slowly. She had imagined any sort of scrutiny or loss of control would be a difficult thing for the blond, especially after his mother and her obsessions. She bit her lip.  
Gladion narrowed his eyes. "I'm fine," he said sharply, and Moon started at his tone, gaze lowering to the ground.  
"Sorry," she said, tone unusually quiet .  
Gladion watched her for a moment before sighing, one hand reaching up to brush aside his bangs. "If I'm being honest... I only accepted because it's an excuse to play with Silvally at work. I would have refused under any other circumstances," he said, not meeting her gaze.  
Moon blinked, once, twice, before laughing loudly, earning glares from others in the theater, Gladion included as he turned sharply to face her.  
"What?" he snapped, clearly irritated by her response.  
"Sorry," Moon gasped, wiping tears from her eyes, "it's just I never expected that from you. You're always really serious."  
Gladion huffed, crossing his arms over his chest and facing forward. "Sorry to disappoint."  
Moon shook her head quickly, flashing him a smile. "Trust me, I like this better."  
The blond trainer said nothing, though one hand slipped again to his jacket pocket, curling around Silvally. He was already regretting his decision to watch the movie with Moon, promise or not.  
"Ah, it's starting!" Moon whispered, watching the wide screen with childlike excitement.  
And indeed, colors had begun to creep across it, swirling to form the title. 'A Trainer's Heart' it read, and bell-like laughter could be heard in the distance. Then the colors vanished like smoke, the camera panning down to reveal a small town. Children sat on porch steps, sipping juice from paper cups as the older kids showed off their new Pokemon.  
A boy with spiky hair and an arrogant smile boasted, "When I'm sixteen, I'm going to be the Champion!"  
Gladion scoffed, and Moon nudged him with her elbow.  
A girl with long, black hair and green eyes watched him curiously from her place on the steps. It was only one more year until she could have a Pokémon of her own, and fascination with the creatures had consumed her like wildfire. "Really?" she asked. "Do you think it's possible?"  
The boy smirked, waving the pokéball in his left hand. "With this guy's attack speed and my tactical skills, anything's possible!"  
Again, Gladion made a disbelieving sound, Moon leaning over to whisper, "Just watch."  
The blond raised a brow, but fell silent, only showing his skepticism through the occasional scowl.  
The girl on screen looked in the direction of the Pokémon lab, eyeing its silver gates. "I wish to be Champion one day, too," she said wistfully.  
The spiky-haired boy snorted, tossing the pokéball from hand to hand. "You'll have to beat me first, and with Blitzle--" a Pokémon appeared from the ball in a flash of light, kicking up dust and shooting sparks from its mane "--you'll never catch up."  
The girl gave him a level look, unimpressed by his blustering. "If you don't want to face me," she said, "then I'd suggest you improve, and fast. Because when I set my mind on something, seldom do I fail to attain it."  
The boy laughed, Blitzle crackling with energy. "Oh, yeah? What's your name, kid? I'm Rino, and I want to recognize you if you challenge me for the title of champion."  
The girl was silent for a long moment, one hand tapping against the concrete steps. "My name," she said slowly, "is Kaye."  
Rino laughed, calling Blitzle to his side as he ran off to train in the tall grass along the first route. "Catch up fast, Kaye," he yelled back, mocking grin in place. "I won't wait for you."  
Kaye curled her hands into fists, the camera tipping upwards to see the sky blacken, stars appearing as it slowly tilted down to show the town. Letters flickered across the screen: One year later.  
The front door of one of the smaller houses swung open with a creak, Kaye yawning as walked out and down the steps. A woman with the same dark hair waved at her from the front window, Kaye giving a quick wave back before jogging down the road, eyes fixed on the silver gates of the research lab. She was eager to nab a starter and be on her journey.  
After all, she had a goal in mind, someone she had not seen in far too long.  
Moon yawned, stretching out her arms as Kaye pushed open the gates, reaching a large wooden door with a brass knocker. She pounded on it, shifting from one foot to the other as she waited, the thud of the professor's boots growing louder.  
The picture went fuzzy as Moon's eyelids sunk lower, the even voices of the actors and dark of the theater a perfect lullaby. She had been too excited to get much sleep the night before, and was now suffering the consequences. Gladion didn't notice as she slumped in her seat, eyelids drifting shut, breathing becoming smooth and even.  
Moon was fast asleep.

Blessedly, she woke when the credits started to roll by, Gladion none the wiser. Moon sat up with a start, scanning the people in front of them as they pulled out tissues, dabbing at their eyes. Evidently, it had been a tearjerker as one site had said.  
Stretching out a kink in her neck, Moon turned to Gladion. "Well, now that it's finished, do you want to--"  
All thought seemed to empty from her mind as she stared at Gladion, not quite believing what she saw.  
He was sitting perfectly rigid as he watched the credits blankly, seemingly not aware of the tears welling up in his eyes and rolling silently down his cheeks. "Yes?" he asked hoarsely. "What is it you want to do?"  
Moon stared dumbly at him. He was crying, and she hadn't the slightest clue why, or what she should do about it. "Well, ah, I suppose we could--talk about it. See whether we would recommend it to the others. Maybe we could even rent it out for another movie night."  
Gladion turned now to face her, expression unusually somber. "Let's not watch this again," he said quietly. "At least, not for a while."  
Moon nodded, and Gladion turned back to his silent vigil watching the credits, satisfied that his opinion had been made clear.  
The black-haired trainer frowned, mulling over the movie in her mind. What would have upset him that much? Last she had seen of him, he had been scoffing at the movie. Clearly he had experienced a drastic shift of view on it.  
But what had caused that?  
Moon tapped Gladion's shoulder, concern etched across her features. "Are you okay?"  
He nodded.  
"Sorry, I wouldn't have chosen this movie if I knew it was going to be so upsetting."  
Gladion blinked, finally turning to face her. "Are you kidding?" he said, clearly confused by her reaction. "It was wonderful."  
Moon mirrored his confusion. "It was?"  
"Of course, didn't you see?"  
The black-haired trainer nodded vehemently, far too passionate to be telling the truth. "Of course. It was really good."  
Someone behind them sobbed loudly, followed by a shushing noise from their companions. Moon turned to face the three, her eyes catching on a boy wearing an orange shirt and black shades. Had she been looking closer or less preoccupied with Gladion's newfound range of emotions, she would have noticed the sudden discomfort of the three teens behind her, and the uncanny familiarity about them.  
"You okay?" she asked.  
The boy nodded furiously, black sunglasses nearly falling off in the process.  
Moon gave him a skeptical look, but turned back to Gladion. "Let's go get something to drink," she suggested, offering him a hand.  
To her surprise, he took it, following compliantly as she led him out of the theater.


	3. Chapter 3

"Are you feeling better?" Moon asked, cupping her hands about a mug of hot cider.  
Gladion sat stiffly across from her, eyes pointedly fixed on the sugar-dusted scone in front of him. "Yes," he said shortly.  
Moon's brow furrowed, but she said nothing, taking a sip of her drink. Gladion had been quiet and uncharacteristically friendly after the movie, his good mood ending only when they had pushed open the theater doors and stepped onto the street. Then, as though remembering himself, he had wrenched his hand from her grip, eyes flashing, and snarled, "Don't touch me."  
"Then try to keep up," Moon had said evenly, and wove through the trainers and tourists, Gladion trailing after her with a scowl.  
Now they sat in a café just a few blocks from the theater, an uncomfortable silence settling over them as both sorted through the day's events. Moon considered subtly looking up the movie plot and reading it under the table. At the very least, it would help start conversation and answer her question of what had been so upsetting to Gladion. And it could help her cover up falling asleep during the movie, which admittedly, was quite the plus. She was already reaching for her phone when Gladion finally spoke.  
"Sorry about what I said before."  
Moon paused, gaze flitting back to him.   
Gladion still wouldn't meet her eyes, finding a sudden interest in the sugar bowl on the table. "It was just--strange to show that much emotion. I acted out of line. Sorry." He picked up his scone, biting off a powdered edge, satisfied that he'd effectively silenced his nagging conscience for the second time that day.  
Moon stared at him for a long moment before a slow smile curved her lips and she drew her hand back from her phone. "You know," she said, "this is going to kill you to hear, but you're kind of cute."  
Gladion made a choking noise, dropping his scone back onto the plate. He glared at her. "I'm not cute," he said, an angry flush coloring his cheeks.  
Moon shrugged, swishing her apple cider about the mug. "It's okay, I won't tell anyone."  
Gladion covered his face with his hands.

Sun and Lillie stared with disbelief from a table on the opposite side of the café from Moon and Gladion, Hau smiling cheerfully as he stirred his drink. Sun halfheartedly mopped up a stain on the tablecloth from where he had spat out his coffee, his eyes impossibly wide as he watched the two trainers.  
"It's like a live action drama," he whispered to Lillie, who was far too engrossed to answer.  
Hau slurped his lime-cherry smoothie, waving at the people who passed by the window. "Maybe we should give them some privacy," he said. "They seem to be doing well enough without us."  
Lillie squinted, leaning across the table to get a closer view. The waiter passing by shot the trio an odd look, his gaze darkening when he saw the stained tablecloth. "Sun," Lillie said disbelievingly, "is brother--blushing?"  
Sun clapped one hand over his mouth.   
When neither responded to his suggestion, Hau shrugged cheerfully, turning back to the window.  
"Do you they'll get together?" Lillie asked, gaping as Gladion hid his face.  
Sun blinked, glancing over at her. "You mean you don't think they're together yet?"  
"Not yet, but soon."  
Sun scoffed, sipping his coffee. "They're definitely together, I mean-- look, she just grabbed his hand!"  
Both watched with an equal mix of shock and fascination as Moon tugged Gladion's hands away from his face, laughing as he pulled free from her grip. Gladion scowled, snapping at her, but Moon just shrugged, pointing to the half-eaten scone on his plate. With some reluctance, Gladion nodded, and Moon tore off an untouched edge, popping it into her mouth. A blissful expression replaced her amusement, and she closed her eyes, sighing in contentment. Gladion tilted his head, resting one hand on the table--  
Lillie snatched her phone from her purse, opening the camera feature. "He's smiling, oh goodness, he's actually smiling--"  
Sun dabbed at his eyes with the edge of his napkin, sniffling loudly. "I still don't know what she sees in him," he said, "but they're wonderful together."

"Thanks for coming today," Moon said, smiling. "I know you're pretty busy, but I had a good time."  
Gladion shrugged, finding it difficult to meet the black-haired girl's gaze as they stood just a few feet from the café's entrance, trainers pushing past them, chattering on their phones. "It was fun," he said shortly, seeming pained by even these words.  
"Maybe we can do this again sometime," Moon added, casting him a hopeful look.  
Gladion paused just a second before nodding.  
Moon's smile broadened, growing even wider when Gladion hesitantly returned it. "Let's hang out again soon, okay? I wasn't kidding when I said I wanted to be your friend."  
Gladion raised one brow. "Yeah, I see that now," he said, but sounded almost happy about it.  
Moon's phone chirped, and she glanced down, sliding it out of her pocket and hitting power. "New message from Lillie," she read aloud, and tapped to open. A photo loaded, filling the screen. Moon stared at it for a moment before shifting her gaze to Gladion. A wide grin replaced her surprise. "Told you that you're cute," she said, tucking away her phone before he could see. She wasn't quite sure what he would say if he saw the photo of him smiling at her, taken by someone across the room.  
Gladion tilted his head to the side, looking both embarrassed, outraged, and confused, but Moon simply shook her head, still grinning. She wouldn't risk compromising their tentative friendship now--she would show him the photo later, when something like this might be commonplace.   
And if she saved it now or set it as his contact photo, well, he would be none the wiser.  
Moon's eyes lit up. "That reminds me, would it be okay if I get your number? It would make it easier to plan group activities."  
Gladion nodded, pulling a phone out of his sweatshirt pocket and holding it out to her. "Type in the number and I'll text you later."  
Moon paused. The blond was busy, and the odds that he would text her regrettably slim. "Promise?" she asked.  
The blond-haired trainer rolled his eyes, sliding his phone back into his pocket and reaching out a hand. "Then give me your phone and I'll type in my number."  
Moon complied, watching as Gladion tapped the screen, selecting a bell chime as his ringtone. Hitting enter, he handed it back to her, strangely shy as he added, "It's okay to text me if you just want to talk, I have too much time on my hands anyway."  
"Same goes for you," Moon said, tucking her phone away. "When you get home, say hi to Lillie for me. And also thank you," she added, and waved goodbye, opening a pokéball and commanding, "Fly," before vanishing in blur of dark feathers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is the last chapter, but I still might write other fics for this fandom. Thank you so much for reading, and if you see any errors, please comment and I'll try to fix them as soon as possible. Again, thank you!


	4. Chapter 4

M: Are you busy today? Hau's been wanting to visit a new malasada shop, and I was hoping you could come, too.  


Moon clicked her phone out of messages and hit the radio, flicking through the channels as she sat at the kitchen table, swinging her feet. The music seemed to only get worse as she went on, ranging from pop to soft piano to dark and foreboding chanting to horrified sobbing. Honestly, who chose the songs?  


Her phone vibrated as a message appeared at the top of the screen.  


G: Can't. Testing.  


Moon bit her lip to hold back a grin, clicking into messages.  


M: That's too bad, but maybe next time. Anyways, how's the research going with Silvally? Any new progress?  


The answer was almost immediate.  


G: Enough to keep scientists excited. Hope it ends.  


It was a longer response than the ones she'd seen him give Sun and Hau in real life. So far, this was going better than she had expected.  


M: Same. Text me when you're free, and we can spar. My Pokémon have been feeling a bit too complacent ever since we stopped battling.

A week passed with only short messages and greetings, Moon sending Gladion photos of the Pokémon she'd caught, and Gladion sending back cute photos of Silvally. If there was one thing she could be certain of, it was that the blonde boy truly loved his partner.  


So Moon took the initiative to alert him of everything her type: null did, snapping photos to accompany the stories she sent him. She had figured he would enjoy the updates, but she hadn't anticipated just how much.  


Their texts tripled.

\--- 

"When I said you could text me," Gladion said flatly, "I didn't mean every hour."  


Moon shrugged from where she sat beside him on the couch, snapping open the case of a DVD. "I like talking to you, more than any of my other friends. And besides, you always reply so quickly. Some might think you enjoy our conversations."  


Gladion's eyes narrowed at the compliment, ignoring the last part of her response. "You like my company."  


"Very much so."  


Gladion fidgeted slightly, picking up a bowl of popcorn and tapping his fingers against it. "Well—you're not horrible to be around either," he said, and looked pointedly at the television across from them.  


Moon stood, popping in the DVD and pressing a hand to her mouth as she forced back a smile. "You flatter me," she said, moving back to sit beside Gladion on the couch. The box of DVDs from their last movie night sat untouched in the corner, The Final Battle: a Love Story on the top, disc snapped in half (she had yet to burn it, but the time would come soon enough).  


"Yes, well, don't be expecting any other compliments," Gladion said with a significant amount of bite. Moon could have sworn he was blushing. "Why was it the others couldn't join?"  


"Lillie's traveling, Hau is at an all-you-can-eat malasada contest, and Sun is going to the Pokemon musical," Moon said, ticking off their friends on her fingers. "They're all busy. And besides, it's not so bad to hang out with just me, right?" She cast him a hopeful look. She was pushing it today, true, but she was far too curious to see how the blonde boy would respond. Some would say that his messages back to her when they had been texting for the last month had been—interested. Curious.  


Lillie or Sun would say he liked her, but their answers showed far too much bias.  


Either way, she knew she liked him, and now she simply wanted to see if he felt the same.  


Gladion didn't respond for a long moment, looking like he would almost faint at Moon's forwardness. "No," he said, sounding like the words had been choked out of him. He was definitely blushing now. "I—like it better this way."  


Moon raised a brow as the menu appeared on the screen, listing the DVD features as moments from the movie played in the background. "Me too," she said simply, and clicked play.

\--- 

The lost zombie faded from the screen with a wail as the credits rolled, showing a fair number of makeup artists and CGI specialists.  


Moon yawned, stretching her arms above her head. "Better than I thought it would be," she said, glancing over at her companion, "what do you say we—"  


She fell silent, mouth slightly ajar, as she took in the sight before her.  


Gladion was leaning back against the couch, head tilted to the side, eyes closed, and fast asleep. Moon bit her lip, grabbing her phone and checking the time. It was late, and already pitch-black outside. She would have to wake him up soon if he was to make it home at a decent hour.  


Leaning over, Moon poked his shoulder, grinning at how he shifted away from her with a groan. "Gladion," she whispered, jabbing his shoulder again. "Gladion."  


The blonde cracked one eye open.  


"Unless you plan on sleeping in my living room," she said, "you might want to head home."  


He blinked, once twice, as comprehension settled over his features.  


Moon laughed. "Your expression is priceless," she assured him.  


"I fell asleep?"  


"Guess so, though I have no clue when. What do you last remember in the movie?"  


Gladion sat up with a yawn, shaking his head to dispel any lingering sleepiness. "Zombies were—eating everybody."  


Moon laughed again. "That was the whole movie," she said. "Do you want me to lend you a flying Pokemon to take you home?"  


"I'll be fine," he said, touching a hand to the pocket Silvally's pokeball rested in. "Anyways... thanks for having me over."  


"I'll rent the sequel in a few days, if you want to join me."  


"That would be—nice," he said hesitantly, and she was happy to find he meant it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no clue how old these kids are, but I'm just going to imagine they're like sixteen or something, because the thought that they might be around twelve kind of freaked me out...
> 
> Anyways, thank you so much for reading! ^u^


End file.
